Expansion pedestal



April 1 1924. v

J. N. HELTZEL EXPANSION PEDESTAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 16. 1923 J. N; HELTZEL EXPANSION PEDESTAL Filed-May 16 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet '2 Ill/III ryza;

A ril 1 1924.

v J. N. HELT ZEL EXPANSION PEDESTAL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed-May 16. 1923 7 L Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

mrrsm JOHN N. HE LTZ EL, 0F WAR-BEN, OHIO.

EXPANSION PEDESTAL.

Application filed May 16, 1923. Serial No. 639,426.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN N. HELTZEL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Warren, in the county of Trumbull and State of Ohio, have invented anew and useful Expansion Pedestal, of which the following is a specification."

The device forming the subject matter of this application is adapted to be employed for connectingat their ends, a pair of rails of the sort which are used. commonly in forming a curb of concrete or the like, at the edge of a roadway.

The invention aims to provide a novel means whereby the ends of the rails may be connected securely but releasably.

It is another object of this invention to provide a means whereby one of two abuting rail ends may be securely but releasably held, independently of the other. A further object of the invention is to supply a novel supporting member, which, being expanded within the abutting ends, or" a pair of rails, will hold the rails securely in position. 1 i

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means whereby a lateral or horizontal adjustment or the rails may be secured, and to afford novel means whereb the device described may beadjusted horizontally or laterally to accomodate rails of varying dimensions. A further object of'the invention is to provide an-expansible supporting or connecting member which may be shifted along from place to place and be expanded within the rails, at points intermediate the ends of the rails, to hold the rail in an upright position.

The invention aims, further so to construct the device that the desired adjustments may be secured, even though the holding stakes have been driven into the ground.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains;

With the above other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the-combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what is claimed changes'in the precise embodiment oi? the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanyin drawings Figure 1 shows in elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention, assembled with a pair of abutting rails; Figure 2 is a top plan of the structure delineated in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section 011 the line 3--3 of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-{t of Figure 3; Figure 5'is a perspective showing the base; Figure 6 is a perspective showing the lower member of the expansible support; Figure 7 is a perspective showing the upper member of the expansible support; Figure 8 is a perspective showing the headpiece and the eccentrics; Figure 9 1s a perspective disclosing one of the'connecting elements; Figure 10 is a vertical sectional View disclosing a modified form of the invention; Figure 11 is a top plan of the structure delineated :in Figure 10; Figure 12 is a perspective wherein the base appears; liigure 13 is a v perspective showing a the connecting'and supporting member; Figure 14 is a perspective showing the head piece.

In carrying out the invention as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, recourse is had to a pair of rails 1, therails being substantially channel-shaped and abutting at their ends,

as shown at 2, the rails being of'the general sort used for forming a curb of concrete or like material along a highway. Each rail 1 includes an outer wall 3, a top flange 4, and a bottom flange 5, the top flange having a depending lip 6 and the bottom flange having an upstanding lip 7.

The structure which is used to connect the rails 1 embodies a base 8, in the form of a plate, provided with anupstanding flange 9, the base or plate having a transverse seat 10cand there being an opening 11 in the inner end of the plate 8. i The plate 8 rests .on the bottom flanges 5 of the rails 1 and extends across the abutting ends 2 of the rails, the upstanding flanges 7 of the rails 1 being received in the seat 10 of the base 8. An expansible connecting device 12 is pro vided, the same including allower member comprising a bottom 14 having upstanding cars 15. There is an elongated slot 16 in the bottom 14, and the bottom is provided in one end with an opening '17, there bein elongated slots 18 in the ears 15. The botceived in the slots 18 ot' the cars 15 of thelower member. There is an elongated slot 22- in one end of the top plate 19 and the other end of the top plate is provided with an. opening 26. V

A head piece 23 is supplied, the same including afoot 24 having an opening 25, an upstanding part 27, a horizontal top 28 and a depending web 29. Shafts 30 are journaled in the part 27 and are provided with handles 31, the shafts carrying eccentrics '32. The foot 24 of the head piece is overlapped on the top plate 19 as shown in Figure 3, and through the opening 25 oi the foot 24 and through the slot 22 of the element 19 is inserted a combined clamping and pivot ele ment 36, which need not be described in detail, because it is constructed like the combined clamping and pivot element hereinbefore alluded to and shown in Figure 9. The part 27 engageswith the lips 6 of the rails 1, the top 28 engages with the flanges 4 of the rails, and the web 29 is disposed approximately parallel to the walls 3 of the rails '1.

When-the parts are arranged as above described, and as shown in Figure 3, a stake 37 is extended through the opening 26 of the part 19 and through the opening 17 of the part 14. The stake 37 carries a transverse stop 38 adapted to engage the element 19, and, because the openings 26 and 17 are 10- catedto one side of the pivot elements 21, the upper member of the connecting device 12 will swing with respect to the lower member thereof, the flanges 4 of the rails being engaged by the top member 28 of Figure 8. Through the instrumentality of the handles 31, the shafts 30 may be rotated, the eccentrics -32 binding on the base 8 inside of the flange :9, the base 8 being forced downwardly on the bottom flanges 4 of the rails 1, and the rails being bound securely together at their abutting ends 2. The constituent metal of the device has suflicient resiliency so that when one of the eccentrics 32 is released from the base 8, the corresponding rail 1 will be set free, the other rail being held. It is to be observed that, owing to the provision oi the slot 22, the head piece 23 may be adjusted horizontallyor laterally. Likewise, since the cars 15 of the bottom member 14 are provided with the slots 18,

the top member shown in Figure 7 may be adjusted horizontally or laterally, with respect to the bottom member shown in Figure 6. Further, the expansible connecting device 12, considered as a whole may be adjusted horizontally on the base 8, since the part 14 is provided with the slot 16. The several adjustments hereinbefore described permit the device to be adapted to rails 1 of different dimensions.

Passing to the form shown in Figures 10 to 14, each rail 40 has an outer wall 41, a top flange 42 and a bottom flange 43, as hereinbefore described, the top 42 being supplied with a depending lip 44 and the bottom flange 43 having an upstanding lip 45.

The base 46 is in the form of a plate, having an opening 47 in one end and an elongated slot 48 in the other end.

The connecting device is marked generally by the numeral 49 and includes a lower member 50 and an upper member 51, projecting in opposite directions and connected by a standard 52, a reinforcing buttress 53 uniting the standard 52 with the lower member 50. There is an opening 54 in the lower member 50, and'the upper member 51 is supplied with an elongated slot 55. The lower member 50 is overlapped on the base 46, as shown in Figure 10, and the parts 50 and 46 are connected by a combined clamping and pivot element 56 of the sort hereinbefore described and operating in the opening 54 and in the slot 48. Shaft-s 57 are journaled in the standard 52 and are supplied with handies 58 and eccentrics 59'. The standard 52 abuts against the lips 45 of the rails 40, and o the eccentrics 59 bear on the bottom flanges of the rails, inside of the lips 45, as shown in Figure 10.

A head piece 60 is provided, the same including a foot 61, having an opening 62, an

handles 58, the eccentrics '59, bearing upon the bottom flanges 43 of the rails 40, will force the part- 64 of the head piece against the top flanges 42 of the rails, and hold the rails together at their abutting ends 67 llach eccentric 59 maybe slacked away, at the will of an operator thereby setting one rail tree, whilst the other rail is held. The adjustments afforded by the slots 48 and 55 will be understood readily from what has been stated hereinbefore concerning that form of the invention which is delineated in Figures 1 to 9.

What is claimed is 1. In a structure of the class described, a base, cooperating elements comprisinga supporting member and a head piece, the supporting member being overlapped on the base, and the head piece being overlapped on the supporting member, a rail-engaging clamping device movably mounted on one of said cooperating elements, means for connecting the head piece to the supporting member for horizontal adjustment, and means for connecting the supporting member to the base for horizontal adjustment.

2. In a structure of the class described, a base, cooperating elements comprising asupporting member and a head piece, the supporting member being overlapped on the base, and the head piece being overlapped on the supporting member, a rail-engaging clamping device movably mounted on one of said cooperating elements, means for connecting the head piece to the supporting member, and means for connecting the supporting member to the base for horizontal adjustment.

3. In a device of the class described a base, cooperating elements comprising a supporting member and a head piece, the supporting member being overlapped on the. base, and the head piece being overlapped on the sup porting member, a rail-engaging clamping device movably mounted on one of said cooperating elements, means for connecting the.

head piece to the supporting member for horizontal. adjustment, and means for connecting the supporting member to the base.

at. In a structure of the class described, a base, cooperating elements comprising a supporting member and a head piece, the supporting member being overlapped on the base, and the bead piece being overlapped on the supporting member, means for connecting the head piece to the supporting member for horizontal adjustment, means for con necting the supporting member to the base for horizontal adjustment, and horizontally spaced, individually operable, rail-engaging clamping devices carried by one of said cooperating elements.

5. In a structureot the class described, 00-

operating elements comprising a base and a supporting member overlapped thereon, means for connecting the base to the supporting member for horizontal adjustment, a stake extended through one of said cooperating elements, a head piece, means for corn necting the head piece to the supporting member for horizontal adjustment, and mechanism for clamping the structure above set forth upon the ends of a pair of abutting rails.

6. In a device of the class described, a base and a head piece, a supporting member connected to the base and the head piece and comprising relatively movable parts, pivot means connecting said parts, and a stake passing through said parts, the stake being located on one side of the pivot means, and the base and the head piece being located on the other side of the pivot means.

'7. In a structure of the class described, a base and ahead piece, movable clamping means carried by the head piece and engaging the base, a supporting member connected to the base and the head piece and compris ing relatively movable parts, a pivot element connecting said parts, and a stake passing through said parts, the pivot elementbeing located between the stake on the one hand, and the base and the head piece on the other hand.

8. In a structure of the class described, a supporting member, comprising relatively movable parts, a pivot element connecting said parts, a base, a head piece, means for connecting the base to one of said parts, for horizontal adjustment, means for connecting the head piece to the other of said parts for horizontal adjustment, and a stake passing through said parts, the pivot element being located between the stake on the one hand, and the base and the head piece on the other hand.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN N. HELTZEL. ,Vitnesses W. J. SAVAGE, L. BALDWIN. 

